Q. Please give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
A. Safety Restore is an automotive tech company offering seat belt repairs, airbag modules reset services and our most popular, custom color seat belt webbing replacement services. We offer seat belt webbing colors in red, yellow, green, blue and many more for your car! We are located in Westfield, MA but service customers nationwide as well as Canada & a few others.
Q. Please give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
A. As an immigrant who came to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1996, I had nothing. Seeing all of the opportunities this country had to offer, I worked hard to discover where I could apply my passion and skill. Ever since High School I found myself developing websites, marketing & video production. Today I apply all of these skills to the businesses I own.
Q. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
A. I saw that these services were mostly limited to local shops and realized there was an opportunity to bring it online to allow customers to get these services that didn’t have a local shop near them and Safety Restore was born. It really is all about marketing! Constantly learning the online curve and the behaviors of today’s internet users is everything.
Q. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
A.
1. Don’t ever waste your talents – let your passion guide you.
2. Don’t complain about having no time or not enough time, work hard to get it back.
3. Prioritize what’s important in life.
Q. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
A.
1. Patience.
2. Digitally-inclined.
3. Creative.
Q. How many hours do you work a day on average?
A. 10
Q. To what do you most attribute your success?
A. God & my wife.
Q. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
A. Social media!
Q. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
A. I worked hard on labor-intense jobs like construction to save up the funds needed to get the company started.
Q. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
A. Thinking long-term and investing accordingly.
Q. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
A. Everything AI, currently preparing.
Q. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
A. Lamborghini. They have an incredible startup story
Q. How important have good employees been to your success?
A. Good employees is everything! It’s the heart of people that make companies thrive.
Q. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
A. Depends on the idea and it’s importance in my life. Some a few days, others years (one I’m thinking about to this day)
Q. What motivates you?
A. My family. My wife & daughter.
Q. How do you generate new ideas?
A. Live life and they just come to you throughout daily interactions.
Q. How do you define success?
A. The people/friends around you.
Q. How do you build a successful customer base?
A. Loyalty.
Q. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
A. Time.
Q. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
A. Being able to travel with family while working!
Q. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
A. Mindset.
Q. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
A. Faith. Strong biblical morals – that’s how I was raised and believe!
Q. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
A. Humble.
Q. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
A. Be smarter with money!
Q. How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
A. Business was always at home, needed to prioritize to manage a healthy balance. More free time opened more opportunities.
Q. What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
A. Heights. Prayer and faith.
Q. How did you decide on the location for your business?
A. Main St.
Q. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
A. Keep trying.
Q. If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
A. Jesus, He is our Savior!
Q. Who has been your greatest inspiration?
A. My parents.
Q. What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
A. Bible.
Q. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
A. Purchases based on good salesmen! Ugh.
Q. How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
A. Give time to think, get advice from others.
Q. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
A. Music!
Q. What makes you happy?
A. Family.
Q. What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
A. Family time, but now I’m giving it back!